Well testing device



Aug. 9, 1932.

0 Z J 2 N C O O O O O O O O O .H. II Ox Qlnv OI L '0 flu i m m fl r6 Y 7A/ 2 W f 7 /6 Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES aux v. nnwrs, ormanno, waxes WELL TESTING DEVICE i neaaon men ma a, 1927. Serial No.189,294.

.My invention relates to well testers for use in testing a well toascertain whether a producing stratum has been reached. v

The method now most commonly used in testing wells involves considerablelabor and expense and may result in destroying the well. It includes thesetting of casing and screen and may involve a costly job of cementingthe, well before a proper test can be made. The well is then washed andtested. If it is found that no producingformation has been reached, theliner, screen wash pipe and all other equipment may have to be removedand the well drilled further. It is a common experience to find thescreen firmly anchored and if it can be withdrawn at all, it is usuallyfound to'be badly mutiliated. It is an object ofmy invention to providea device which can be quickly introduced into the well to make a test ofthe formation and then again easily withdraw with a minimum expenditureof time and money.

It is also desired to provide a vice which is simple and not liable toget out of order or fail in use:

Referring to the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinalsection through a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof with certain parts broken away and illustrating theparts in different positions. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on theplane 3-3 of Fig. 1. My device is adapted to be inserted downwardly intothe well within the casing 1.

The device is intendedrto be secured to the lower end of a drill stem 2extending from the surface. downwardly and acting to control and operatethe testing device. The drill stem section 2 is formed with a radialflange 3 ait its lower end. This flange has a groove on its"'1overfaceforming part of a ball race.

and co-operating with a ball retaining ring 4; fitting withina seat 5 ina valvehousin' 6. The said valve housing has its upper en threadedinteriorly at 7 for engagement with a box 8 recessed at its upper end toreceive packin rings 9. A gland 10 adapted to screw own over the upperend of the box 8 bears upon'the packing and serves to compress the sameto form a.v fluid tight engagetesting de-.

ment with the outer surface of the drill stem. The lower end of thehousing 6 is threaded on its inner face at 11 to engage with a tubularmandrel 12. Said mandrel is of heavy construction, its outer face beingcylindri- 65 cal. Its inner face is threaded adjacent the upper end witha coarse thread 13 to engage with the lower valve extension 14. Thelower end of the mandrel 12 is connected with a guide member 15 which isof slightly larger external diameter than the mandrel, thus providing ashoulder 16 adjacent the upper end thereof. The lower end of the guide15 fits within a lower packing retainer sleeve 18, which is connected at19 with the strainer or other pipe 20. v

The acking retainer sleeve 18 is beveled inwardl yat 21 at its upper endto provide a seat for a packing sleeve22 of some flexible composition,such as rubber. It is understood that any desired form of packingmaterial may be employed. (a I The packer sleeve 22 is shown as oflargest diameter midway between its ends andtapered slightly toward eachend. The upper end is tapered inwardly at 23 to fit against the lowerend of an upper packer retaining sleeve 24 which is threaded on itsupper end for connection with the valve housing member 6.

The upper end of the mandrel 12 has a valve 9 seat 25 formed therein toreceive a valve head 26. The head 26 is received within a chamber 27within the housing 6 and free passage about the head is allowed withinsaid chamber. The lower end of the head is formed with a valve extension14 previously referred to, and said extension 1s formed with a centralpassage 28 leading'from the lower end upwardly to a point. immediatelybelow the head 26-and there connecting with a radial passage29 leadingto the outer side of the extension. Above the valve is a valve stem 30which projects upwardly into thelower end of the drill stem and isformed with radially extending keys 31 thereon which are adapted to fitwithin keyways 32 in the lower end of the drill stem. The valve stem isthus slidable vertically within the valve stem but is forced to rotatewitlP said drill into the valve chamber 27.

In the operation of my device, the valve stem is rotated to screw thevalve down into its seat so that when the device is inserted into thew'ell, the valve is tightly closed. No

310 water or mud or other fluid can enter the drill stem while it isbeing inserted to the bottom of the hole.

It is contemplated that a suflicient length of perforated pipe 20 willbe secured to the lower end of the device, spacing the same upwardly thedesired distance to set the packer at the proper point. When the piperests upon the bottom of the hole, the weight of the drill stem abovethe same will be exerted downwardly to force the mandrel 15 downwardlythrough the lower retaining sleeve 18 and compress the packer 2 2longitudinally and force it outwardly a ainst the casing to form a tightseal therewlth. This will prevent fluid from above the packerflowinginto the lower end of the well.

The drill stem will then be rotated in a lefthand direction to raise thevalve head 26 from its seat. In performing" this operation, the

' drill stem 2 will rotate freely relative to the testing device, due toits swivel connection therewith. The rotation of the drill stem will,however, ,cause the rotation of the valve so as to unscrew it from itsseat. Any liquid or other fluid in the bottom of the hole may then passupwardly through the passages 28 and 29 into the valve chamber 27 andfrom thence upwardly through the passages 34 and 33, respectively, tothe (interior of the drill stem and from thence to the sur-..

face. If a flowing well is encountered, the liquid may flow through thedrill stem as long as is desired. If, however, it is thought best toequip the well in the usual manner,

the drill stem may be rotated in the righthand direction to screw thevalve back into its seat and the device may be then withdrawn from thehole. It is obvious that when the weight of the drill stem has beenlifted from the packet 22 it will contract so as to al, low the deviceto be withdrawn without difficulty.

If the well does not flow the operation may be performed in the samemanner and when the drill stem is withdrawn, the contents of the lowerend ofthe drill stem will show whether any oil is coming into the well.It will thus be possible to make a test of the well quickly andaccurately without any special equipment, and if itis found that noproduction has been reached, the well may be continued as desiredwithout the usual difliculties encountered where the old process oftesting the well is employed.

The advantages of the construction will be apparent to those skilled inthe art.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a drill stem, a tubularmandrel, a valve housing forming a swivel connection between said drillstem and mandrel, a packer on said mandrel, a support for said packerslidable on said mandrel, a valve at the upper end of said mandrel, andmeans responsive to rotation of said drill stem to move said valve toand from its seat.

2. In a device of the character described, a drill stem, a tubularmandrel, a valve housing forming a swivel connection between said drillstem and mandrel, a packer on said mandrel, a support for'said packerslidable on said mandrel, a valve at the upper end of said mandrelwithin said chamber, means on said valve co-operating with said drillstem whereby said valve may be rotated, and a threaded connectionbetween said valve and mandrel whereby said valve may be raised orlowered relative to said seat when it is rotated. I

3. In a device of the character described,

a. drill stem, a tubular mandrel, a valve housing forming a swivelconnection between said drill stem and mandrel, means to close the spacebetween said mandrel and the wall of the well at the point desired, avalve at the upper end of said mandrel, and means responsive to rotationof said drill stem to move said valve to and from its seat.

4. In a device of the character described, a drill stem, 'a tubularmandrel, a valve housin forming a swivel connection between said drillstem and mandrel, a packer on said mandrel, a support for said packerslidable on said mandrel, a valve at the upper end of said mandrel, andmeans actuated by said drill stem to control the position of said valverelative to its seat. o

5. A device of the character described including a tubular mandrel, apacker thereon, a drill stem, 11. valve housing between' said drill stemand said mandrel, a swivel joint between said drill stem and said valvehousing, a valve in said housing adapted to close the upper end of saidmandrel, and means to move said valve to and from its seat as desired.

6. A device of the character described including a tubular mandrel, apacker thereon, a drill stem, a valve housing between said drill stemand said mandrel, a swivel 'oint between said, drill stem and said'valveousin a valve in said housing adapted to close t e upper end of saidmandrel, and

' means to move said valve to and from its seat as desired, said meansbeing under the control of said drill stem, in the manner described.

7. A device for testing deep wells wherein a pilot bore has beendrilled, comprising a drill stem,a valve housin tapered on its outerface to fit within sai ilot bore, said housing having a valve cham er,valve seats at the upper and lower ends of said chamber, a valve in saidchamber adapted to fit within either of said seats, and means responsiveto the rotation of said drill stem in one direction, to move said valvefrom one of said seats to the other.

v8. A device for testing deep wells wherein a pilot bore has beendrilled, comprising a drill stem, a valve housing tapered on its outerface to fit within said pilot bore, said housing having a valve chamber,valve seats at the upper and lower ends of said chamber, a valve in saidchamber adapted to fit within either of said seats, means responsive tothe rotation of said drill stem in one direction, to move said valvefrom one of-said seats to the other, and means to guide said valve inits movement.

9. A well tester including a housing tapered downwardly on its outersurface and having a valve chamber therein, said chamber having valveseats at its upper and lower ends, a valve adapted to fit either of saidseats, and manually controlled. means to move said valve from one seatto the other, and retain it at any intermediate position.

10. A well tester including a drill stem, an eduction tube connectedwith the lower end thereof, a barrel enclosing the lower end of saidtube and normally sealing ofi theoentrance of fluid thereto, means toseal oil the space between said barrel and the walls of a well bore, andmeans to raise said eduction tube upwardly relative to said barrel,where by fluid is allowed to enterthe lower end of said tube.

11. In a well tester, a drill stem, an eduction tube connected with thelower end thereof, a packer connected with said drill stem, a barrelwithin said packer about said tube, means in said barrel normally sealinthe lower end of said tube, means to expan said packer and means toraise said tube in said barrel to open said seal and allow fluid toenter said tube.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 9th day ofApril, A. D. 1927.

l GUY V. LEWIS.

